SINGAPORE: A Singaporean worker recently shared that she is already close to the point of burnout just one month in a new role. It begs the question of how fast one can burnout in a new job?
She said that her managers knew several tasks were new to her, but the onboarding was, in her words, “a joke.” By the end of the first week, she said she was already “overwhelmed and stressed,” to the point where work was following her into her sleep and she was dreading what would come next.
She described it as the “worst first month” she has ever experienced at a new job. From day one, she was thrown straight into leading projects and taking over campaigns, despite still trying to figure out how things even work.
Posting on r/singaporejobs on Reddit, she admitted the work itself is not particularly difficult, but the sheer volume is “insane” and everything is treated like “it is urgent.” The office also runs in a constant state of reaction, with barely any structure or clear workflow to rely on.
On top of that, new project management tools are being rolled out, yet new hires are somehow expected to build everything from scratch while still learning the ropes. According to her, management does not seem too bothered by the pressure this creates.
“Managers have been saying to me to give myself more grace because I’m new, but the reality doesn’t allow for that grace because you are expected to keep it going,” she said. “The work itself, I can safely say that I do not like. I can do it, but it’s very meaningless to me.”
“The only saving grace is that the team itself are great people with good vibes, and this company seems to be decent on a resume. But this doesn’t change the lack of structure.”
Seeking advice from others, she wrote at the end of her post, “I am already looking for another job, but if you were me, would you leave immediately? I am wondering if anyone has left their job just 1 month into it?”
“Life is too short to suffer every day like this.”
Surprisingly, quite a number of Singaporean Redditors said they have actually quit jobs after just a month because it simply was not the right fit for them.
One shared that he had been in the exact same situation and decided to leave after a month. “I just told them the job role and the one that was told to me during the interview didn’t align together.”
Another admitted that he left even faster, after just one day. He said it was the shortest stint he has ever had and even told the company they did not need to pay him for that day.
“There were no hard feelings,” they said. “Most colleagues were friendly, but I just somehow felt that job wasn’t for me. Many things weren’t in line with my strength, my style, my habits, my personality, etc.”
A third commenter said they tried to push through at first because they felt bad leaving early when the company needed help. But things got so bad that they ended up feeling depressed and anxious, and even sought help from a counsellor.
“My counsellor simply told me, ‘Just quit.’ She was right. Anyway, life is too short to suffer every day like this. Better things will come.”
That said, not everyone thought she should rush to resign immediately. Some suggested giving it a few more weeks to see if things settle down.
“Try to take a step back first and relax. Stress is not just caused by conditions at the job; it’s also caused by how you choose to deal with it,” one wrote.
“It’s quite possible that everyone else at work feels just like you, but many have decided to just do what they can without stressing themselves out. Maybe just do what you think is reasonable while looking for another job? Leaving within 1 month is also nothing crazy, happens a lot more than you would think.”
In other news, a Singaporean woman who gave up her career to care for her child took to social media to vent about her husband, who, instead of being supportive, appears to treat her like an emotional punching bag whenever “things don’t go well for him at work or in life.”
In an anonymous post on the SGWhispers Facebook page on Tuesday (Mar 24), she said his bad moods often land squarely on her, and not in a mild way. There have been times when he threw things at her and hurled insults, even going as far as to call her “good for nothing.”
Read more: Singapore mum who quit job for baby says husband calls her ‘good for nothing’, throws things at her
